StudentsNS is pleased to welcome Sophie Helpard as its new Executive Director

Halifax, N.S. – StudentsNS is pleased to welcome Sophie Helpard as its 9th Executive Director. Sophie comes to StudentsNS after serving as President of the University Students’ Council where she represented the 30,000 undergraduate students at Western University in London, Ontario. At Western, she studied Political Science at Huron University College, an affiliated liberal arts college on campus.

After advocating to university administration and all levels of government during her tenure at Western, she is excited to continue to work for post-secondary students at StudentsNS. “After seeing the measurable difference advocacy can make, I’m eager bring what I’ve learned to Nova Scotia. This is an incredible opportunity for me, and for the organization, to continue the fight for students,” Helpard said.

The StudentsNS Board is excited to have Sophie join the organization. “Sophie brings a wealth of experience and will be an integral part of StudentsNS’s success moving forward,” said StudentNS Chair, Fallis Thompson. “We couldn’t be more excited for what is to come with Sophie as Executive Director. The Board’s vision, with her direction, will serve this organization well and ensure we continue to be the voice for students in Nova Scotia.”

Helpard looks forward to working closely with the students on the Board of Directors over the coming weeks, “It’s an exciting time for higher education across the country. I hope to work with students on the ground to develop better relations with stakeholders, deepen connections to member schools, and build strong partnerships in the sector.”

The Board would like to thank Nick Head-Petersen, out-going Executive Director of StudentsNS, for his dedication to the organization and for his hard work and guidance over the past year. The Board would like to wish Nick the best as his moves back to Ontario to begin the next chapter of his life.

For more information, please contact:

Sophie Helpard, Executive Director
Phone: 905 714 5455
Email: director@studentsns.ca

Or

Fallis Thompson, Chair of StudentsNS
Phone: 902 585 2127
Email: chair@studentsns.ca

Students Nova Scotia is a not-for-profit and non-partisan advocacy and research group that represents post-secondary students from across Nova Scotia. Our members include Acadia, Cape Breton, Saint Mary’s, and St. Francis Xavier Universities, the Kingstec and Annapolis Valley Campuses of the Nova Scotia Community College.